Capri

5.22.2023 – 5.25.2023 || Capri || Italy

After spending four days in Rome we took a high-speed train to Naples and then took a ferry to Capri. It is amazing to think that 75 minutes later on the train and an hour later on a ferry you arrive in this magical place that feels worlds away from the busy streets of Rome. I never ventured further south than Rome in my prior travels to Italy so I was looking to stay somewhere in the Amalfi region. The Amalfi Coast was incredibly pricey at the time of booking so we landed on Capri largely due to the hotel we came across during our search. Everyone asks what we liked best – our answer is Capri. Check out where we stayed and what we did and ate while in Capri for three days.

Where we Stayed:

The Capri Wine Hotel was our home base in Capri. It felt like staying at a family member’s vacation house thanks to the incredible hospitality of the owners, Elena and Raffaele. They turned an old family winery into a modern hotel with beautiful gardens overlooking the Gulf of Naples. I can’t say enough about this place and how it truly made our stay one to remember. Located in between the Marina Grande and Capri it was easy to walk to either or catch a ride to Anacapri. Elena and Raffaele secured dinner reservations and they booked us a three hour boat tour before we arrived to help plan how we would spend our time in Capri. They also provided many more recommendations once we were in Capri. I could go on and on but here are some shots from our deck, around the property, and where we ate breakfast.

What we Did and Where we Ate:

Our first priority upon checking into the Capri Wine Hotel was food! It was recommended that we take a short walk towards the main area of Capri and check out Ristorante Pizzeria Panorama. Not a light lunch for the “hike” that was to follow but the food was excellent and the views lived up to its name.

After lunch we kept walking up the steps into Capri proper towards Piazza Umberto I to get a better view of Marina Grande below and take in our new surroundings. It did not disappoint.

We had a loose plan that consisted of a “loop” that starts in town, heads towards the Arco Naturale, I Faraglioni, Giardini di Augusto, and then circles back to town. They said it would take 90 minutes and to do it clock wise to go down many steep steps opposed to walking up them. Definitely do this. The walk to the Arco Naturale was a beautiful “window” into the Amalfi Coast across the water. I was starting to wish I was wearing a different outfit but onwards we went!

The views were breathtaking as we approached I Faraglioni, the rock formations.

You have to buy a ticket to enter Giardini di Augusto and I am glad we did because the view down was one of my favorite photos that I took in Capri.

We ate dinner at Villa Margherita in Capri. The food was good and like nothing we order at Italian restaurants at home – cod cakes, lobster and burrata pasta, sesame crusted tuna, etc.. However, the custom Capri chargers (placemats) on the table will be what I remember. A quick search of the artist, Laetitia Cerio, led me to Eco Capri two days later. We had a chance to talk to her grandson and learn about their family and his focus on bringing both of his grandparents’ art into prints that they sell in their boutique. We now have a couple of the chargers below on our dining room table to remind us of Capri. They do not have an online store so you will just have to go and see it for yourself, and take me with you!

Back to the sights. The next day we had an early start to explore the island by boat with Capri Damare. We selected the private 3-hour tour onboard a classic Caprese wooden boat. It was the perfect way to see the island from the water but we missed the memo that everyone brings drinks and snacks. Rookie mistake. We loved this experience and highly recommend using this company and coming prepared.

One of the reasons to get an early start is to avoid long lines at the Blue Grotto. Upon arriving at the Blue Grotto, everyone waits in line to buy a ticket from a floating boat ticket office in order to board a smaller row boat that seats four people to enter the Blue Grotto. There wasn’t a line so to speak but definitely a pecking order depending on the type of boat you arrive in and how much more money you are willing to spend to skip the line. It was both chaotic and entertaining to watch a bunch of men yelling at each other to get their clients picked up next. After about a 20-25 minute wait we were up.

To enter the Blue Grotto, all four people in the boat have to lean back as far as they can while the man rowing the boat grabs ahold of a metal chain and pulls the entire boat through a six foot wide opening. I don’t think anyone is really prepared for this but once you are in and realize your face wasn’t smashed you are rewarded with the bluest water.

Everyone starts singing what sounds like Italian ballads while taking their boat around a few times so everyone can get obligatory photos of the blue water. Plan to go early to minimize the wait time, otherwise the wait eats into your overall time limit if you plan to circle the entire island.

After the Blue Grotto we circled the island counter clock wise. Our captain, Johnny, did a great job pointing things out and making stops for a closer look. One of my favorite parts was as we approached the I Faraglioni rock formations. We hung out in front of them for a bit and then we went right through the opening in the middle and circled back around to go through the left-hand side as well. We didn’t get in the water to swim at any point because 1) I saw too many jelly fish and 2) it was a little brisk this time of year.

After the boat ride we took a taxi to Anacapri for lunch at La Zagara. Lunch in a lemon grove was the perfect refuge from the tourist packed streets. Note: all the taxis in Capri are super cute mid-sized convertibles. I didn’t get a picture of one with an umbrella like cover but these are unique to Capri.

After lunch we headed to buy tickets for the Monte Solaro Chair Lift to head straight to the top of Anacapri and the highest point on the island. How it works – there are individual chairs and it takes 12 minutes to ascend almost 600 meters to the summit. This was prime people watching as everyone is in their own chair in single file line. Most people were 1) talking on their phone, 2) taking pictures, or 3) sitting there in fear or a moment of silence. I was somewhere between 2 and 3. I prefer to be on the ground and wasn’t sure how I would feel about this. Let’s just say this chair lift was much closer to the mountain than any chair lift I have been on at a ski resort. It is worth the ride if you can handle it.

The way down is where you have gorgeous views of Anacapri as you descend back to the station.

Our favorite meal in Capri was at Da Gelsomina in Anacapri. Your dining reservation comes with a free shuttle pick up from Anacapri where they take you the remaining way up narrow, winding roads. The owners of the Capri Wine Hotel recommended that we go early to enjoy the sunset by the pool before dinner. While we were the only ones who did that it was a quiet moment to take in the property’s garden and watch the sunset into the sea. This place felt like a restaurant we would go back to over and over again because of the ambiance, the service, and the delicious food – the grilled octopus and the grilled vegetables were the stars here!

The next day we planned to go to Positano for the day but the ferry sold out before I actually booked our tickets. I was initially sad about this change in plans but it gave us a bonus day in Capri and really crystalized for us how much we enjoyed just being in Capri. Below is a shot form early in the morning when the first ferry left Capri. The mornings were so peaceful on the deck.

We started the day exploring San Giacomo monastery that was next to the Giardini di Augusto. RJ accidentally stepping in wet cement as we entered the monastery was my takeaway from the visit and I would only go here if you have extra time to kill. From there we walked to Capri Rooftop and enjoyed the views over a couple of spritzes while we planned our next move.

We did some shopping and then grabbed lunch at 52 Cento, a newer restaurant with nearly a perfect 5 start rating. I do not have any pictures but it is worth mentioning if you want somewhere to eat in Capri but not in the center of town.

Our last meal was at Villa Verde in Capri. While Da Gelsomina would be my go to restaurant if I lived in Capri, Villa Verde is where you take guests or where you go to people watch. Maybe it was the loud American music or the photos of American celebrities on the wall but it felt like we were in an Italian restaurant in NYC. That being said, the burrata was to die for. Get that and also save room for dessert as the chocolate almond cake was pretty amazing and I don’t even like dessert.

Here are a few more scenes from around Capri that caught my eye as we explored the pedestrian only streets and made our way around the entire island on boat and some other form of transportation.

Capri is awesome – the scenery, the people, the food, the shopping, it all exceeded my expectations. I was not ready to leave and could have stayed a few more days lounging around the Capri Wine Hotel. Luckily it wasn’t time to head back to the United States as we still had three more days of exploring to do in Tuscany. Until next time, Capri.

Question: Have you ever visited somewhere that you weren’t ready to leave? My top three places that I didn’t want to leave are Barcelona, Bali, and Capri.